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A busy mind in many places. One of my children was asked what I did for a living. The list given includes my main occupation of farming but also goes on to school bus driver, carpentry, furniture making, developer, designer, landscaping, handyman and more. I've traveled in most states of the union (I'm missing two) and several foreign countries. My favorite vacation is a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I like to read. Favorite authors include western author Louis L'Amour, science fiction writer Anne McCaffrey and architect Sarah Susanka. I like to sing and am a bass in our local barbershop chorus. In church I also prefer the bass part. My best friend and wife, Karen, and I have 3 children who are all busy and happily building their own lives. We have twin granddaughters born in September 2011 and another granddaughter born in April 2014.

We’ve been blessed with our youngest daughters presence for a few weeks this summer, but that is coming to an end. School children in Hawaii will soon report to class and the teachers need to be ready. With that in mind our baby is heading back to Honolulu.

Youngest has been spending her summer mowing lawn, picking garden produce and catching up with friends and family. Her sister and brother will arrive tonight for their last goodbyes, and a trip to see the grandparents is planned. Then it will be off to the islands until Christmas.

Both excitement and sorrow are part of living and working so far from home. She really misses her kids and is looking forward to see how much they have changed in the last months. The distance from family is a challenge. Thank God for Skype and cell phones.

Many changes come in our life and the departure of children is a bitter sweet one. We are lucky to have happy, employed children. We know we cannot keep them forever. They have flown from the nest and now are making it on their own. That’s a fact of life.

Michael

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I can relate to this. My second daughter left for Argentina in early June and will return to Minnesota around November 1. This is her second extended stay in Buenos Aires. Letting go of our children is, indeed, bittersweet and often difficult. Great post.